A cloud computing environment enables responsibilities which previously may have been provided by an organization's own information technology department, to be delivered as service layers within a cloud environment, for use by consumers that are either internal (i.e., private) or external (i.e., public) to the organization. In some instances, a cloud environment can include a PaaS platform component which enables the provisioning of enterprise software applications within the environment. Such applications or services may need access to a database. What is needed, then, are means of integrating a database with a cloud environment. These are examples of the types of environment in which embodiments of the invention can be used.